SARTARTIA MIDDLE SCHOOL
PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION BYLAWS
ARTICLE I. GENERAL
SECTION 1. NAME. The name of this organization is Sartartia Middle School Parent
Teacher Organization [PTO].
SECTION 2. PURPOSE. The PTO has been established to promote the welfare and
educational, vocational, and character development of students who attend the Sartartia Middle
School [School] and to promote open communication between the administration, teachers and
parents. The PTO shall not attempt to direct the administration or policies and activities of the
School. The PTO is organized and shall be operated exclusively for charitable and educational
purposes within the meaning of Section 501[c.] [3] of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, concerning tax exempt organizations. No substantial part of the activities of the
organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda, influencing legislation, nor participation in
political campaigns for public office. The PTO shall not engage, participate, nor intervene in any
activity or transaction that would result in the loss of its status as a tax-exempt entity.
SECTION 3. POWERS. In order to accomplish the foregoing purpose and to finance
programs in support thereof, the PTO is empowered to solicit and accept membership dues and
voluntary contributions, to receive, invest and distribute funds and to hold property in
furtherance of its objectives. No part of the income or assets shall benefit any member or other
individual or entity.
ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1. ELIGIBILITY. Membership in the PTO shall be open to those individuals, who
subscribe to its purpose, are duly registered (as determined by the Board), and who are
parents, grandparents, legal guardians of students, or members of the faculty and staff.
SECTION 2. ANNUAL DUES. The annual dues for members of the PTO [Members] shall be
determined annually and at its sole discretion, by the Board of Directions [Board], as defined in
Article IV herein.
SECTION 3. MEMBERS. Only current members who are duly registered (when necessary)
have the privilege of making motions, voting, holding office or serving on committees. The
Membership Chairperson shall maintain (as determined by the Board) throughout the year, a list
of the current members of the PTO.
ARTICLE III. MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERS
SECTION 1. GENERAL MEETINGS. These meetings of the members shall be held during
the school year with day and time to be scheduled by the Board to avoid conflicts with holidays
or other local meetings. There are to be at least, but not limited to, two general meetings during
the school year.
SECTION 2. ELECTION MEETING. This meeting of the members shall be held during a
general meeting in April or May of each year. The meeting shall be held for the purpose of
electing Executive Officers and Standing Officers of the PTO, as defined in Article V and VI
herein, and for the transaction of any other business that needs to be brought before the members
(as determined by the Board).
SECTION 3. SPECIAL MEETINGS OF THE PTO MEMBERS. Special Meetings may be
called by the President, at the request of the majority of the Board or at the request of five
percent [5%] of the members, to transact any business, which needs to be brought before the
members.
SECTION 4. NOTICE. Five [5] school days notice shall be required for any General,
Special, or Election Meeting. Notice for all meetings shall indicate the time, date and place of
the meeting. The meeting shall be called by means of posting on school property, by
publication, by parent phone line, by e-mail, or posting on the school’s website.
SECTION 5. QUORUM AND MANNER OF VOTING. The attendance of 10 [ten] current
members of the PTO shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the members. An item of
business included in the agenda and properly brought before the meeting may be transacted and
voted on during such meeting. The order of business to be followed during each meeting shall
be determined by the President. The election of officers and all motions voted upon by members
shall be decided, except as otherwise provided in these bylaws, by a majority of the voting
members present at a meeting, provided a quorum is established and maintained throughout the
meeting.
ARTICLE IV. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
SECTION 1. DUTIES. The property, affairs and business of the PTO shall be managed by
its Board of Directors [Board] who shall set and determine the policies of the PTO. The Board
shall have the power to adopt an annual budget, disperse funds, approve plans and programs to
raise funds, and perform all other duties as may be necessary or desirable to carry out the stated
purposes of the PTO.
SECTION 2. COMPOSITION. The Board shall consist of the Executive Officers and the
Standing Officers of the PTO. A husband and wife may not be officers of the PTO at the same
time, and an employee of Fort Bend ISD may not be an officer. The Principal of the School
[Principal] shall serve as ex-officio member of the Board. The Principal shall provide input from
the faculty and advise the Board of special needs of the students.
SECTION 3. THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE. During the General Meeting in
February of each school year, the Board shall present nominees to serve on the Nominating
Committee. The Nominating Committee members shall be elected by the members of the PTO
and shall consist of the Principal and four members of the PTO. The Nominating Committee
shall elect a chairperson from among its members. At the Election Meeting in April or May (asdetermined by the Board), the Nominating Committee shall be responsible for recommending the
nominee[s] for election to each office as described in Article V and VI herein. Nominations for
each office shall be accepted from the members at large during the Election Meeting (as
determined by the Board) following the report submitted by the Nominating Committee. All
nominees shall personally consent to stand for election after being notified about their
nomination by the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee is a standing committee
of the PTO, not the Board; therefore, it is not governed by Article VI or VIII herein.
SECTION 4. ELECTIONS. The Executive Officers and the Standing Officers shall be elected
during the Election Meeting (as determined by the Board) in April or May of each year. The
Executive Officers and Standing Officers shall be elected by ballot unless there is only one [1]
name placed in nomination for each position, whereupon the elections may be conducted by
voice vote.
SECTION 5. TERM OF OFFICE. The Executive Officers and Standing Officers shall be
elected at the Election Meeting (as determined by the Board) in April or May to serve in the
capacity for one [1] year beginning July 1st ; due to the fiscal year ending June 30th
.
SECTION 6. CONSECUTIVE TERMS. The members of the Board may serve for
consecutive terms on the Board, but may not serve for more than two [2] terms as an officer in
the same capacity.
SECTION 7. REMOVAL FROM OFFICE. A Board member who without cause fails to attend
three [3] consecutive regular meetings of the Board may be removed from office by a majority
vote of the Board. A Board member may otherwise be removed by a two-thirds [2/3] vote of the
Board. Two [2] weeks prior to taking such action, the President or the Secretary shall send to the
Board member being considered for removal, a notice of such action by “Registered Mail,
Return Receipt Requested.” A Board member removal from office may appeal the decision of
the Board to the members, beyond which there shall be no appeal
SECTION 8. VACANCIES. The Board may fill vacancies in its own membership. A Board
member may resign at any time upon a two [2] weeks written notice to the Board. A quorum of
the remaining members serving on the Board, may by a majority vote, appoint a successor,
selected from among the members of the PTO, to serve the unexpired term of a Board member
who resigns, is unable to serve, or is removed.
SECTION 9. REGULAR BOARD MEETINGS. Regular scheduled meetings of the Board
shall be held throughout each year. Any items of business properly brought before a Regular
Meeting of the Board may be transacted and voted on during such meetings.
SECTION 10. SPECIAL MEETINGS OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICERS. Special
Meetings of the Executive Officers may be called by the President or by the Secretary upon the
request of any three [3] Board members, upon twenty-four [24] hours written or verbal notice
indicating the time and place of the Special Meeting and the business to be transacted at such
meeting.
SECTION 11. QUORUM AND MANNER OF VOTING. The presence of one-half [1/2] of the
Board shall constitute a quorum at any Regular or Special Meeting of the Board. All motions
voted upon at any meeting of the Board at which a quorum has been established and maintained
throughout, shall be decided, except as otherwise provided in these bylaws, by a majority of the
Board members present at the meeting.
ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
SECTION 1. TITLES AND TERMS OF OFFICE. The Executive Officers of the PTO shall
consist of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Financial Secretary. All officers
shall serve a term of office for one [1] school year.
SECTION 2. PRESIDENT. The President shall preside at all meetings of the members of the
Board; be an ex-officio member without vote, of all committees except the Nominating
Committee; appoint with the advice and consent of the Board, the chairpersons of any special
committees; have supervision of an general executive and administration powers relating to the
PTO, subject to the control of the Board; and implement the general directives, plans and
policies formulated by the Board.
SECTION 3. VICE-PRESIDENT. The Vice-President shall have such powers and
responsibilities as may be determined by the Board or the President. The Vice-President shall
also ensure parliamentary procedure as described in Article IX, Section 6. In the absence of the
President, the Vice-President shall perform the duties and exercise the authority of the President.
(Rev. Approved: 10/14/08)
SECTION 4. SECRETARY. The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the members and the
Board and record the minutes of those proceedings; maintain the bylaws and amendments in the
minute book; have custody of all books and records pertaining to the business of the PTO except
those of the Treasurer and Financial Secretary; conduct the correspondence of the PTO; notify
the Board of all Board meetings; and perform other duties that may be assigned by the President
or the Board.
SECTION 5. TREASURER. The Treasurer shall have custody of the funds that have been
deposited in the name and to the credit of the PTO; keep full and accurate accounts of receipts
and disbursements in the books and records; reconcile each bank statement in a timely manner,
disburse the funds of the PTO upon authorization of the Board; present a statement of financial
condition at each General Meeting of the members and the Board; present an accurate account of
all transactions and a report on the financial condition of the PTO at the Election Meeting (as
determined by the Board) each year and prepare and file the annual non-profit federal income tax
return. The Treasurer without the approval of the Board may disburse those matters that have
not been budgeted, and do not exceed one hundred dollars [$100.00]. The Treasurer shall
provide the financial books and records for the financial review and shall work with the
Financial Secretary to prepare an annual budget to be approved by the Board. In the absence of
the Treasurer, the Financial Secretary shall assume the duties of the Treasurer.
SECTION 6. FINANCIAL SECRETARY. The Financial Secretary shall have custody of funds
to be deposited and shall deposit funds in a timely manner in the name and to the credit of the
PTO; provide the Treasurer with an accurate accounting of receipts deposited, keep full and
accurate records of receipts; present a statement of receipts at each General Meeting of theMembers and the Board and present an accurate account of all transactions and a report on the
financial condition of the PTO at the Election Meeting (as determined by the Board) each year.
The Financial Secretary will work with the Treasurer to prepare the financial books and records
for the financial review and shall work with the Treasurer to prepare an annual budget to be
approved by the Board. In the absence of the Treasurer, the Financial Secretary will be
responsible for issuing charitable donation tax letter according to the requirements of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
ARTICLE VI. STANDING OFFICERS.
SECTION 1. STANDING OFFICERS. The Standing Officers shall be elected by the
members and shall be responsible for developing programs in support of the stated purposes of
the PTO. Other members, as deemed necessary, of a Standing Officer’s committee shall be
appointed by the officer in charge of each committee. The Standing officers shall be the
chairpersons of the following committees: VIPS, Ways and Means, 6th/7th/8th Grade Level
Coordinators, Publicity, Membership, Hospitality, and Special Projects.
SECTION 2. VIPS CHAIRPERSON(S). Shall coordinate volunteers in compliance with the
VIPS [Volunteers in Public Schools} program, as described in the FBISD Campus VIPS
Coordinator Handbook, and perform other duties that may be assigned by the President or the
Board.
SECTION 3. WAYS AND MEANS CHAIRPERSON(S). Shall act as chairperson(s) of the
School-wide fundraiser(s), handle any auxiliary School-wide fundraiser(s), and provide accurate
fundraisers’ receipts to the Financial Secretary, and perform other duties that may be assigned by
the President or the Board. As of 2007, examples of school-wide fundraisers are: “Paws for the
Cause” and Candy Sales.
SECTION 4. PUBLICITY CHAIRPERSON(S). Shall provide information to the media as
authorized by the President or the Board and perform other duties as assigned by the President or
the Board.
SECTION 5. DIRECTORY CHAIRPERSON(S). Shall be in charge of assembling, printing
and distributing of the school directory. Provide accurate receipts to the Financial Secretary and
perform other duties that may be assigned by the President or the Board.
SECTION 6. GRADE LEVEL COORDINATORS. There shall be 6th/7th/8th Grade Level
Coordinators, one person or a pair per grade level, to act as a liaison between the Board and the
parents/teachers to assure that each grade level has an equal amount of assistance available and
perform other duties as assigned by the President or the Board. Each Grade Level Coordinator is
responsible for organizing, in conjunction with the Head Grade Level Teacher, their group of
parent volunteers. 8th Grade Level Coordinator shall be responsible for Career Day and the 8th
Grade Celebration.
SECTION 7. HOSPITALITY CHAIRPERSON(S). Shall serve as the official hostess of the
PTO and be responsible for selecting chairpersons for projects approved by the Board, and
perform other duties as assigned by the President or the Board.
SECTION 8. SPECIAL PROJECTS CHAIRPERSON(S). Shall be responsible for forming
committees to implement any special projects approved by the Board and act as liaison betweenthose committees and the Board, and shall perform other duties that may be assigned by the
President or the Board. Examples of special projects may include: FB Education Foundation
Gala Gift Basket, ARC Gift Basket and honoring the faculty and staff for teacher appreciation
week!
SECTION 9. 5K AND SILENT AUCTION CHAIRPERSON(S). Shall act as chairperson(s)
of the community-wide 5K run and silent acution, They will execute the event with a
representative from Sartartia Middle School, obtain sponosrs and provide accurate fundraisers’
receipts to the Financial Secretary, and perform other duties that may be assigned by the
President or the Board.
(approved 10/14/14)
ARTICLE VII. FACULTY REPRESENTATIVES.
SECTION 1. FACULTY REPRESENTATIVES. There shall be Faculty Representative(s)
who will act as a liaison between the faculty and the Board. The Faculty Representative(s) will
act as an ex-officio member of the board and shall be appointed by the Principal.
ARTICLE VIII. AD HOC COMMITTEES.
SECTION 1. AD HOC COMMITTEES. Ad Hoc Committees are committees created with
the approval of the Board when new projects are instituted or needs are identified. These
committees are not permanent and may be increased or decreased on an annual basis.
Chairpersons of these committees are considered voting members of the Board.
ARTICLE IX.MISCELLANEOUS.
SECTION 1. FISCAL YEAR. The fiscal year shall end on June 30th of each year.
SECTION 2. CHECKS AND DRAFTS. Checks and drafts or other orders for the payment of
money issued in the name of the PTO shall be signed by two [2] different officers of the PTO, of
whom, one may be either the Treasurer or Financial Secretary, but not both and approved in
advance of issuance by the Board, except for those non-budgeted disbursements described in
Article V, Section 5. Authorized check signatures on the PTO account shall be provided by the
Executive Officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Financial Secretary.
SECTION 3. FINANCIAL REVIEW. A financial review of the books and records of the
PTO will be conducted and completed by July 31st each year. The Financial Review Committee
shall consist of at least two [2] current PTO members selected by the Executive Officers. The
Treasurer and Financial Secretary shall neither select nor serve on the Financial Review
Committee; but will however, provide the Financial Review Committee with the financial books
and records as described in Article V, Section 5 and 6. The Financial Review Committee will
perform a financial review of the books and records of the PTO. A report will be issued stating
the extent of their review and attesting to their findings during such review. It is recommended
that an additional review take place at the close of school-wide fundraisers or at the discretion of
the Board.
SECTION 4. DISPOSITION OF ALL ASSETS UPON DISSOLUTION. In the event of
dissolution of the PTO, all outstanding bills shall be paid and all remaining property and assets
of the PTO shall be distributed to the School or, if such disposition is not possible, to one or
more PTO’s that are qualified as an example organization under Section 501 [c] [3] of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and that are selected by the Board. In no event shall
the remaining property and assets of the PTO be distributed to any member(s) or other individual
entity.
SECTION 5. AMENDMENTS. These bylaws may be amended at any General Meeting of the
members, at which a quorum as defined in Article III, Section 5 is present throughout, by a vote
of two-thirds [2/3] of the members present at such meeting, provided the proposed amendment
was presented and discussed at the previous General Meeting. A notice of proposed
changed will be posted at the School two [2] weeks prior to the vote.
SECTION 6. RULES OF ORDER. The rules contained in the latest revisions of “Robert Rules
_
of Order” shall govern the parliamentary procedures followed during all meetings of the PTO.
These bylaws were approved and adopted by a majority vote of the PTO members present at the General
Meeting held on the ____________ day of _____________ , 2015.
Attest:
Secretary:
President:
Proposed Revision: Sept., 2015
Per advice of Bylaws Committee
